ON Monday, the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations and the House sergeant-at-arms, Pedro Towai, were served with a copy of the civil complaint filed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres in Superior Court.
The Attorney General’s Office, which by law represents CNMI government officials, was also served a copy of the governor’s complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief.
The complaint was filed by the Republican governor through his legal counsel Gil Birnbrich and the Banes Horey Berman & Miller Law Firm, after the Democrat-led committee found the governor in contempt of a legislative subpoena.
According to the governor’s complaint, the executive branch is “a separate and equal branch of government under the Commonwealth Constitution and must be treated equally…. The Office of the Governor should not and cannot be subordinated to the Legislature, let alone the overreaching acts of an out-of-control Committee of the House of Representatives.
On Dec. 16, Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro appointed former Judge Timothy H. Bellas to be the judge pro tempore in the lawsuit after Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja, Associate Judges Wesley Bogdan, Kenneth Govendo, Teresa Kim-Tenorio and Joseph N. Camacho recused themselves from the case.
Also on Monday, the House JGO committee introduced House Resolution 22-14 calling for the impeachment of Torres on allegations of corruption, neglect of duty and felonies of theft.
The governor has denied the allegations.
If the resolution is approved by at least 14 of the 20-member House, he will be impeached and the Senate will hold a trial. If six senators vote for his conviction, the governor will be removed from office and will be succeeded by the lt. governor.
